Fleur-de-Fashion

This fashion blog entry is a first for me—but a grandchild will do that to you.

When I was in 7^th grade, fashion was important to me.  I actually marked down what outfit I wore to school on my calendar so I wouldn’t have a repeat—and made it through the entire month.  Shortly thereafter, my parents put me on a clothing allowance.  By college, my wardrobe was bell-bottoms and flannel shirts.  Nowadays, I live in sweats. On dress-up days, I slide into a pair of jeans.

I am no fashionista. 

My mother Marie certainly was.  And her great-granddaughter Lais is following in her footsteps. One day she wants to be a styliste (stylist) and the next day, an avocate (lawyer).  Richard is visiting her in Belgium for a few weeks.  I got such a kick out of a photo he sent the other day. 

Lais loves her new sweatshirt so much that she decided her milkshake should match—pink and pink. That’s what I call a fashion-EAT-sa.

Fashion isn’t only about clothing. Take food fashion.  When was the last time you ate tuna noodle casserole or liver and onions? Definitely not “in” fashion in 2023. 

Lais and her Papa stopped at a bounce house.  He sent me a short video of her doing somersaults in the inflatable playroom. In the background was RIchard’s soft, gentle voice saying, “encore.”  It dawned on me that he was just saying “again” in French—unlike the stuffy cartoon characters of my youth shouting: “ENCORE, ENCORE”.  Words, too, have fashion but that’s another story.

And so do books.  I was in Barnes & Noble last fall. As I approached the information counter, the clerk said, “Oh, I have a book for you.  It matches your jacket.”  

She pointed to the display of Lessons in Chemistry, and, indeed, the book jacket matched my jacket.  I just shook my head. 

Months later, my friend Jan told me she had a book for me to read. It also happened to be No. 1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list. She left it on her front porch.  After driving over to pick it up, I opened the bag and muttered to myself, “Oh, it matches my jacket.”

I’m now a fashion-READ-a.  Laurie Lynch

Tall Tale: One last granddaughter story before I go.  Lais was preparing her classmates for her father’s arrival at school.  She explained Papa was deux mètres de haut (two meters tall). “Non!” They didn’t believe her—until he walked in the door.

Fleur-de-March2

If I were a groundhog, I’d wait until March 2 to pop my head out of the ground.

Then I’d be welcomed by snowdrops and winter aconites and wood squill.

But I’m not.

So, I’m celebrating my end of winter. Sure, it may in all likelihood snow tomorrow—but I’m officially finished with winter today. 

I took a walk in my teensy yard and enjoyed the bulbs sprouting from the thawing beds. Sandy’s BFF Jordan, the kindergartener across the street, came by to play fetch. Then, with a chill still in the air, he cuddled up in my chartreuse fleece, popped his head inside, sat down on the deck, and made like a tent. Sandy nosed and dug around and finally found a way in, with me having a great belly laugh to blow away the winter cobwebs.

Revived, I started two milk jug greenhouses with seeds of alpine strawberries and Luke&Lia seed hearts (see below). I placed the jugs in a wrought-iron display rack so they won’t blow away, regardless of the March winds coming off the Nittany Mountains.

All that activity deserves a relaxing meal.  I made a big pot of risotto, the same way my dad and his mother made it—with wine for the rice and wine for the cook. Then, I said goodbye to the winter’s fare of Brussels sprouts with my favorite way to prepare them—roasted with olive oil, salt and cayenne.  When I pull them out of the oven, I top them with a honey-balsamic vinegar drench, and sprinkle the whole dish with feta. Mmmm.

The days are getting longer. We made it. March will be a breeze. April 1 will be here in no time. No Foolin’.  Laurie Lynch

Must Read: Become a fan of Cephalopods (Hint: Not a plant).  Open Remarkably Bright Creatures and you won’t be able to put it down, until the end, when you’ll be reading through tears. It’s Shelby Van Pelt’s first novel.

Bridal Shower by Mail: This is a new concept for me, but makes a lot of sense when the bride-to-be is in Utah and cousins and aunts are spread out from Oregon to Belgium. The other day I received an invitation in the mail with a blank recipe card (to fill out and mail to the bride with a gift card). And, as a treat for shower invitees, a cluster of ready-to-plant paper hearts embedded with a wildflower seeds. Can’t wait for my Luke&Lia garden to start blooming.